A reality that many of us face as athletes is the occasional injury. Depending on the severity/type of your injury, nutrition may play a role in aiding recovery. Here are some tips to keep in mind regarding what and how to eat when you are injured.

1. Adjust energy intake to match energy expenditure. We don’t want an injury or time off from sport to correspond with a significant change in weight. As athletes, we are used to high-energy expenditures and therefore higher energy intakes. If an injury takes you out of training all together, remember that your eating habits and patterns must change as well. Focus on eating intuitively:

Eat when you are hungry, stop eating when you are full

Establish routines, it is still important to eat regularly throughout the day, so set aside time for meals

2. If you are coming back from surgery, or your body has a lot of physical healing to do, focus on getting enough protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Incorporate a small amount of protein into every meal and snack

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables (vitamin C aids in healing and tissue repair). Add color to your plate!

3. Focus on nutrient density! Choose foods that pack in a lot of nutrients for their calorie content.

Think: Lots of fruits and veggies (antioxidants, & bone strengthening nutrients)

Low fat dairy (calcium, protein, vitamin D)

Whole grains (B-vitamins important for energy metabolism

4. Keep your good habits. When we are at the top of our game, nutrition seems important, and so we focus on eating well. Nutrition is just as important during periods of injury. Injuries can also be a time to develop good habits if you aren’t quite there yet.

Remember to treat your body well and it will treat you well.